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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rule · staff · saw · key · file · season · mark · ball

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. file — a document
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a great time
  5. staff — employees
  6. key — for a lock
  7. file — a tool
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — a trace
  10. staff — a stick
  11. season — of the year
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. season — in sport
  14. key — the most important part
  15. saw — the tool
  16. staff — employees
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. rule — government
  20. file — a line of people
  21. rule — a law
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. key — in music
  24. season — to add flavour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com